In New York, Boston, Washington DC, Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco, college counselors, study-abroad advisors, faculty members and students will learn why more than 7,000 US students selected Ireland last year for their college studies. They’ll also hear first-hand experiences from participants in the newly launched US Student Ambassador Program.

The Education in Ireland events are part of a broad initiative by the Irish Government to raise the number of full-time US students at Irish universities and colleges by 50 percent in the next three years. They began with a special welcome message from His Excellency Michael Collins, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States. They precede the first annual Education in Ireland tour for US college counsellors, which will take place next March.

The globalisation of higher education is a cornerstone of Ireland’s strategy to help shape future-generation international leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and thinkers. In virtually every field, Ireland’s universities and colleges stand out internationally. From STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) disciplines to liberal and performing arts, Ireland consistently produces career-ready graduates – skilled knowledge workers that continue to inspire international companies to make Ireland their EU hub. The strategy is drawing substantial numbers of foreign students. Many come for their semester-abroad experience. But a growing number are choosing Ireland for full-time degrees. Boosting the numbers is a top priority.

“Over the years, many talented US students have benefited from a unique educational experience at Irish institutes of higher learning,” said Michelle Dervan, USA Manager for Education in Ireland. “And while some have strong family links to the country, the typical US student in Ireland is a global, career-minded individual seeking a high-quality and affordable college experience. These students add much to the vibrant education scene that makes Ireland a preferred study-abroad location for ambitious kids across the world.”

The week’s events include the following:

New York: Launch of Education in Ireland’s US Student Ambassador Program at the Consulate General of Ireland.

San Francisco: Event for students at St. Mary’s College in Moraga hosted by the Consulate General of Ireland.

Washington DC: Mitchell Scholarship Program Awards Reception at the Embassy of Ireland. The Program honors former US Senator George Mitchell’s contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process. Up to twelve Mitchell Scholars are chosen annually for one year of postgraduate study.

Atlanta & Boston: Receptions celebrating education links between Ireland and the US hosted respectively by the Consulate General of Ireland in Boston and the Consulate General of Ireland in Atlanta.

Charlotte: Address at the WorldQuest High Schools Competition by Paul Gleeson, Consul General of Ireland in Atlanta.

Chicago: High School Essay Contest Winner Announcement at the Consulate General of Ireland. Contestants in grades 9-12 were invited to address the topic: “Ireland is a country renowned worldwide for its inspiring writers, musicians and artists.  In 1,000 words or less, explain what inspires you most in life…”

About Education in Ireland

To learn more about Education in Ireland’s outreach to US high schools and universities, please visit – www.educationinireland.com

The above post is reproduced, with permission, from the original feature on the Education In Ireland website here.

You can also find out more about studying in Ireland by visiting the i-studentadvisor Ireland Study Guide.

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About International Education Week

International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of efforts to promote programmes that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences in the United States.

The first Week was held in 2000 and today is celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide. To find out more, visit – iew.state.gov

The department has reportedly already cancelled 15,066 visas, due to students breaking the terms under which they where granted. Around 3,624 students are faced with deportation for failing their course or poor attendance, whilst a further 2,235 visas were cancelled because students had quit their courses and begun working illegally.

The crackdown, which has seen a 37% spike in the number of cancellations compared to the previous year, particularly targets students who are studying vocational courses. Of the 332,709 international students in Australia mid-2011, a third were on a vocational training visa studying for diplomas, and more than half were studying at a university. The immigration department offers eight different student visas, depending on the type of study that is being undertaken.

It seems that Indian students have been most affected by the crackdown, whilst Chinese students have fared much better, as they are more likely to be studying academic courses.

There are a large number of students who become ‘unlawful’ when they do not leave or apply for a new visa once their student visa has expired – 8,309 in the past year. Currently, it is planned that university students will be able to stay in Australia for two years after they graduate. Vocational training students are waiting for the outcome of changes due next year to find out whether they will be granted to same rights.

To find out more about Australian student visas, please click here.

A surprise result has shown that the California Institute of Technology is now the number one university in the world, according to THE. Harvard University and Stanford University come next in joint second place, followed by the UK’s University of Oxford.

The rankings show that the USA and UK are still leading the way in terms of the number of top universities, with 75 of the top 200 being institutions in the USA, and 32 in the UK. They are followed by Germany (12), the Netherlands (12) and Canada (9).

This great video by THE explains how the rankings are measured and runs through the top ten universities:

Value for money

Analysis of the rankings has shown that when the rankings are adjusted for national spending on higher education, Switzerland and the UK have the best value higher education systems in the world, with the most universities per $200 billion spent. In this table, the USA comes in at 16^th place.

Affordability for international students

There has also been analysis to determine which country is the most affordable for international students. This analysis has shown that the USA account for two-thirds of the 100 most expensive institutions.  One of the cheapest universities for international students was found to be the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, with an average annual fee of just $789.

Method

The rankings employ thirteen separate performance indicators, from teaching to research to knowledge transfer. These are put into five categories:

• Teaching – the learning environment (worth 30% of the overall ranking score)
• Research – volume, income and reputation (worth 30%)
• Citations – research influence (worth 30%)
• Industry income – innovation (worth 2.5%)
• International outlook – staff, students and research (worth 7.5%)

Users of the rankings are able to manipulate the tables on the website in order to rank institutions by any of the five categories that are most important to them.

Top ten

The top ten universities in the rankings are:

1. California Institute of Technology

=2. Harvard University

=2. Stanford University

4. University of Oxford

5. Princeton University

6. University of Cambridge

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

8. Imperial College London

9. University of Chicago

10. University of California, Berkeley

To see the full listing of the 400 top universities for 2011-2012, along with analysis and more information, visit the THE site here.

What do you think about the new rankings? Are you surprised by the new number one? Let us know your comments below!

This week sees i-studentgroup head to west coast Canada to attend the 2011 Annual NAFSA Conference and Expo in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The conference, which officially opens its doors on Sunday the 29th of May and runs through to Friday the 3rd of June, features hundreds of educational sessions and workshops, guest speakers, plenary panels and networking events. Each year the conference attracts thousands of participants representing institutions, educational organisations and service providers from over 100 countries.

One of the highlights of the conference is always the International Education Expo, where this year over 400 institutions and organisations will be exhibiting including i-studentgroup. If you are attending the conference, don’t forget to stop by and visit i-studentgroup at booth 906 to view our full range of websites and online services.

Throughout the expo i-studentgroup will demonstrating a range of their interactive brochures and apps as well as offering previews of the newly designed i-studentadvisor and i-studentlife sites due to be launched in mid June. Recent apps designed by i-studentgroup include the Flinders University app (Australia) and the University of Limerick app (Ireland), both available to download for free from the iTunes store.

“We’re all really excited to show the apps at NAFSA this year” says Louise Singleton, Head of Design at i-studentgroup, “both the i-studentgroup team and and the universities have worked very hard. A lot of the university apps in the App Store at the moment are templated so our bespoke design really stands out. We’re very happy with how the apps have come together!”

For more information on the NAFSA Conference, visit the NAFSA website at: 
http://www.nafsa.org

See you in Vancouver.

Thousands upon thousands of international students move to the UK every year, some of whom are from countries where the compulsory education finishes at a younger age than in Britain. With flexible and tailor-made courses on offer, the new college aims to bring these students up to the same academic standards as their domestic counterparts in order to bridge the gap and help them to meet necessary entry requirements needed gain entrance to UK universities. They also aim to help students who are hoping to enhance their English language levels.

In a press release posted on the University of Brighton website the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Julian Crampton said:

“The university is a community which values an international outlook, something that is essential in today’s world. Students at the college will gain a broader perspective that will support them throughout their courses and into their chosen careers. At the same time, UK students will gain an insight into other cultures around the world and this can lead to the forging of friendships that often last a lifetime.”

He also added that the University are aware of how much UK students enjoy and gain from studying in Brighton and believes that overseas students will also benefit from this new pathway.

The College is to be run by one of the leading providers of English language course, Kaplan International College. With 44 English language schools spanning the UK Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand they offer worldwide access to students who are looking to study English language away from home.

For more information on studying in the UK click here.

]]> http://www.i-studentadvisor.com/blog/education/international-education/university-of-brighton-to-open-new-international-college/feed/ 0 http://www.i-studentadvisor.com/blog/education/international-education/nz-government-introduce-new-international-education-agency/ http://www.i-studentadvisor.com/blog/education/international-education/nz-government-introduce-new-international-education-agency/#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:00:19 +0000 Sarah Pont http://www.i-studentadvisor.com/blog/?p=14791 Nearly two months after the devastating earthquake which shook the city of Christchurch, killing hundreds of people amongst which were 70 overseas students, the New Zealand government have announced that they are to launch a new agency to help encourage international students back into the country.

International education contributes more than $2 billion to the New Zealand economy, supporting nearly 32,000 jobs. Since the earthquake the government are keen to make sure they do all they can to continue to attract international students into the country. Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said in a press release that ensuring the governments “efforts are well-coordinated and efficient is even more important in the post-earthquake environment.” He reiterated the importance of reassuring “students, their families and countries that we remain a safe and reputable international education destination and we are very much open for business.”

Until recently there were three agencies who shared the task of promoting New Zealand to the international education market – the Ministry of Education, Education New Zealand and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. The newly formed Crown Agency, hoped to be up and running by September 2011, will operate alongside these organisations, under the Crown Entities Act (2004) and will focus on international education, putting emphasis in better coordination, sharper focus and better value for money.

Education New Zealand have backed this development in a press release posted on their website, saying that they are in full support of the move and that they were “looking forward to combining our efforts with education functions currently undertaken by the Ministry of Education and NZTE”.

The proposals, aimed at non-EU students applying under the tier four of the points system, would affect almost two-thirds of the 273,000 visas issued to students in 2009. They come as part of a wider scheme by the UK government to reduce net migration by 2015.

In an open letter to The Observer last Saturday, sixteen university vice-chancellors voiced their concerns over the plans and the effects this could have on university funding. This comes at a time when funding for UK universities is a matter of enormous confusion and controversy.

In the letter, the vice-chancellors said: “International students coming to universities contribute over £5bn each year to the UK economy through tuition fees and off-campus expenditure. Reductions in student numbers will lead to reductions in income and jobs.”

They go on to outline how without this income from international students, many courses, particularly science or engineering courses, could be at risk of closure. This would in turn have a wider impact on UK students by reducing availability. International students are also beneficial to the UK in many other ways. They bring different cultures and ideas to UK institutions and allow all students to create networks and make international friends. They also act as cultural and economic promoters for the UK when they return to their home countries with new skills. These benefits could be of enormous importance to the UK at this time of economic austerity.

The vice-chancellors include Prof Steve Smith, president of Universities UK and vice chancellor of the University of Exeter, who recently announced they would be charging the maximum tuition fee allowed, as well as the vice-chancellors of the universities of Bath, Sussex and Birmingham.

The Home Office has responded by saying: “Any criticism can only be based on speculation as no decisions have yet been made on the changes to the student visa route.”

Officially launched to coincide with African University Day, this undertaking by the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the Association of Canadian Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) aims to strengthen ties between African universities and local and regional industries to ensure the development of the skills and knowledge to meet Africa’s current economic needs.

“The Government of Ghana is proud to be associated with this new collaborative project,” remarked Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Joseph Annan, who was a keynote speaker at the event. “The project’s objectives of strategic planning, conducting case studies on university-industry linkages and strengthening the AAU and member-stakeholder relations will not only help to deliver on the association’s mandate, but will also showcase how universities play a central role in the continent’s development,” he said.

As noted during the launch, universities are critical members of today’s knowledge economy, helping to generate a highly skilled workforce as well as the vital networks that bring people, knowledge and infrastructure together.

“With this new initiative, we see the AAU-AUCC relationship moving from strength to strength, supporting a new generation of Africa-Canada university linkages,” observed Canada’s High Commissioner to Ghana Ms. Trudy Kernighan, who also spoke at the event. No strangers to each other, the AAU approached the AUCC because of Canadian universities’ successful track record in working with the private sector and other key stakeholders. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is providing the financial support for this three-year project.

The theme for this year’s African University Day is the Contribution of African Universities to the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

As part of the partnership, individual African and Canadian universities will team up to plan strategies for increased African university-industry linkages. An example includes the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), in Tarkwa, Ghana and Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) who will work together to establish a cooperative education programme at UMaT. As an integral part of the engineering undergraduate programme, the new programme will train students working in the local oil and gas industry.

AAU was established in 1967 by universities in Africa to promote cooperation among themselves and with the international academic community. With a membership of 253 higher education and research institutions from 46 African countries, the association’s vision is to maintain the AAU as the representative voice of the African higher education community.

AUCC is the voice of Canada’s universities. It represents 95 Canadian public and not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges.

Professor Maguire returns to Australia after more than three years in senior management and editorial roles with the English-language Shanghai Daily in China.

A former managing director of Perth’s The Sunday Times, he brings to Murdoch’s media school a wealth of experience gathered over more than 30 years in daily and Sunday newspapers and radio in Australia, Hong Kong and China.

Dean of Media, Communications and Culture at Murdoch, Associate Professor Chris Smyth said: “David’s experience running newspapers, including in the burgeoning Chinese industry, is a wonderful asset to the journalism programme.

“His appointment as the most senior media figure in any WA journalism school means we can offer courses in new areas like media management and carry out world-class research.

“More importantly for our students, he’s already made a great transition from the newsroom to the lecture theatre as a generous, approachable teacher.”

Professor Maguire said he looked forward to using his experience of the media in China and Hong Kong to further develop Murdoch’s extensive collaborations in the region, build its student base and initiate major research projects.

“The rapid development of all media in China reflects the incredible growth throughout the country and the suite of disciplines offered by Murdoch, from journalism basics to cutting-edge technology and media management, push all the right buttons,” he said.

A Doctor of Business Administration and an MBA, Professor Maguire is adding to his academic credentials with the completion of his PhD at Murdoch on the media’s challenges in covering the chaos of major crises.

To learn more about living and learning down under, why not read the i-studentadvisor Australia guide.

Internationalizing the Campus 2010: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities showcases efforts across higher education to better prepare students for a global economy and an interconnected world, and takes an in-depth look at the five distinguished recipients of the 2010 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalisation: Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania; Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York; Loyola University Maryland; Northeastern University in Massachusetts; and University of San Francisco in California.

A hallmark of these 2010 Simon Award winners is the support and participation of their campus leadership, faculty, visiting scholars, staff, students, and communities in creating an integrated global approach to the curriculum, campus programmes, and outreach on their campuses.

Three other institutions included in the report received the 2010 Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award for outstanding and innovative work in a specific area or programme related to international education. They are the Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York, La Roche College in Pennsylvania, and the College of the Atlantic in Maine. Named for the late Senator Paul Simon (D-Ill.), both awards seek to recognise institutions where international education is infused into the learning environment.

Senator Simon was a strong advocate for international education throughout his career in public service. His efforts were instrumental in the creation of the National Security Education Programme, and his visionary leadership remains central to current efforts to establish a national programme to dramatically increase opportunities for American college students to study abroad.

The 2010 NAFSA selection jury included Ron Roberson (jury chair; Howard Community College), Mary Devins (Connecticut College), Jeff Riedinger (Michigan State University), Neal Sobania (Pacific Lutheran University), and Priscilla Stone (Washington University in St. Louis).

For more information on the awards, visit: www.nafsa.org/SimonAward.